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Find the perfect balance between urban and rural on California’s Central Coast. Artist enclaves in Carmel and Big Sur, celebrity residents, world-class resorts, an emerging wine region and a castle are part of the attraction.
The atmosphere is relaxed and casual as you make your way along scenic Highway One from Monterey to Santa Barbara. Wildlife refuges, state parks and beaches inspire rambling hikes along the way.
About the Region
The Monterey Peninsula, one of the world’s most scenic areas, successfully blends its early Spanish heritage with contemporary world-class facilities. Monterey is home of the highly acclaimed Monterey Bay Aquarium, located on the historic Cannery Row. Made famous by American author John Steinbeck, Cannery Row is today successfully converted to a family activity and shopping centre. Just east of Monterey is Salinas, the boyhood home of Steinbeck, where the National Steinbeck Centre plays homage to Steinbeck and the rich heritage of Salinas Valley. From Monterey, follow the scenic 17-Mile Drive, which leads to the picturesque village of Carmel. The road winds through pine forests, past world-famous golf resorts such as Pebble Beach, and along the rocky shoreline where countless varieties of birds and herds of sea lions can be observed.
The breathtaking drive south via Highway 1 through the spectacular Big Sur area illustrates the diversity of California’s Pacific coastline. Midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles is San Simeon State Historical Monument (Hearst Castle). Built by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, the ‘castle’ sits high on a mountainside amidst 123 acres of park-like grounds and extensive formal gardens and pools. The castle is filled with priceless antiques and architectural treasures.
Further south along Highway 101 are the communities of San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Solvang, ‘Danish Capital of America’, with its panorama of windmills, gabled homes, and gas street lights that once illuminated Copenhagen. The Central Coast region is also noted for its lush vineyards and growing numbers of prized labels. Many of the wineries are open to the public for tours and tastings.
Situated between the mountains and the sea, Santa Barbara is high on the list of California’s most attractive cities. Santa Barbara today retains much of its historic Spanish architectural character with red tile roofs and white-washed adobe buildings. Follow the historic ‘red tile walk’ through downtown to the 1786 Mission Santa Barbara. The city’s charm is enhanced by its temperate climate, golf and tennis resorts and museums and art galleries.
Halfway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles is the quaint coastal city of Ventura, with picturesque marinas, the charming Mission San Buenaventura, museums and more than 50 antique shops. Oxnard, just south of Ventura, has nine marinas that offer sportfishing and a wharf complex that has received national recognition for its architecture. Directly offshore are five islands that comprise the 250,000 acre Channel Islands National Park. Accessible by boat, the park is Southern California’s only national park and marine sanctuary.
Activities
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Many communities along California’s Central Coast are known as artist enclaves, including Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea, which boasts of over 100 galleries in one square mile. Farther south, galleries stay open for monthly art walks in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Morro Bay. Hearst Castle, the legendary home of William Randolph Hearst and creation of renowned arts & crafts architect Julia Morgan lies about halfway between, at San Simeon.
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From the wet winter/dry summer climes and craggy cliffs of Big Sur to the miles and miles of gently sloping, clean sand of year-round sunny Santa Barbara, the beaches of the Central Coast represent the huge variety of terrain you’ll find along the Pacific coast. Take a stroll and you’re liable to find surfers, Frisbee dogs, picnics, tide pools and even a sea lion if you’re lucky.
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How does one combine romance and golf? The answer is simple — head to the Central Coast. There is nothing more romantic than a drive down Highway 1 from Carmel through Santa Barbara and nothing stirs the passion of a golfer faster than the mention of golf along Pebble Beach and the Central Coast.
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The scenic Highway One runs along the Central Coast, dividing the region’s options for outdoor activities roughly in two: ocean on one side, mountains on the other. Game refuges, land reserves, state parks and beaches provide lots of great opportunities for hiking, from the redwood forests near Monterey to the sand dunes of Pismo Beach. Pinnacles National Monument is a popular destination for rock climbers because of its spectacular volcanic formations.
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The heavy visitor traffic that arrives along the Central Coast each year helps support thriving retail districts. There’s always something you can’t live without in Carmel-by-the-Sea’s more than 100 galleries, the beachside shops of Capitola, and Santa Barbara’s beautiful downtown with cobbled arcades, fountains, palms and bougainvillea — just to name a few main attractions.
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Celebrity residents and the work-weary from Silicon Valley help fuel the busy spa scene along California’s Central Coast. Most notable is Esalen Institute in Big Sur, a place committed to helping visitors realize self-awareness and find a “deeper, richer, more enduring” way of life. You’ll find hugely popular resort spas in Big Sur, Monterrey and Pebble Beach, and Carmel is home to several independent spas, including one that focuses specifically on lifestyle changes or weight loss.
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California’s central coast wine country has been hailed as the next big thing. Not yet as popular as their northerly neighbours in Napa and Sonoma counties, tasting rooms in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, and Monterey wine-growing regions are not as crowded, making them some of California’s best kept secrets for wine aficionados. For pairing with your Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, you’ll find plenty of California cuisine, thanks to the active organic farming community and innovative chefs along the coast.
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